


And Death Waits Patiently

by langelos



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Gen, Klaus & Vanya Roleswap, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 13:46:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18283505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/langelos/pseuds/langelos
Summary: Klaus doesn’t have powers. He never has, he never will. His birth was a sham amongst the other 43 children born that day, and it was only Reginald Hargreeves’ bad luck that he was unfortunate enough to adopt a normal child among the batch of super-powered ones. Especially one as crazy as Klaus.





	And Death Waits Patiently

Klaus remembers growing up in this house. Remembers watching his brothers and sisters from afar, a little jealous but mostly sad. Remembers the harsh disappointment from his father, constant and unwavering. Remembers the hallucinations that kept him company instead of his siblings. He had hated it with all of his being.

Well, that was the past. He was an adult now, albeit a homeless drug addict adult, but at least he wasn’t living in this lonely mansion anymore. Holding his breath, he opened the obnoxiously ornate door, anxiety already buzzing in his head. He popped a pill before inhaling deeply and stepping his foot inside.

The creak of the door was just as ominous as he remembered it. He could already hear the echo of voices in the living room, and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t completely brace himself as he slid into the room. In the corner of his eye, a dark figure drifted beside him. The voices quieted. There was a moment of awkwardness as his siblings all stared at him and he stared back. Finally, Diego stepped forward with a stilted smile.

“Hey, man,” Diego greeted warmly, grasping his forearm briefly.

“Hi, Diego,” Klaus said back. Diego was always nice to him when they were kids, and he had been sorry to hear that he hadn’t made it as a police officer.

He stepped back, ushering Klaus further into the room. He obliged with only a little hesitation, and ducked his head as he sat down on the couch next to his sister. Vanya had always been the smallest out of all of them, and that clearly hadn’t changed.

“Hello, Klaus,” Vanya said timidly, offering a smile. Klaus returned it, muttering a greeting.

“You’re late,” was the first thing Luther said to him after over a decade of not seeing him.

“Sorry,” he said. “I got caught up in something.” Something, AKA visiting his plug after signing out of rehab. He scratched nervously at his wrist, where the tag with his name and date of birth still rested. Luther’s attention was caught by the movement.

“What’s that?” He leaned forward, grabbing his arm before he had a chance to do anything. Luther turned his wrist over, exposing the band over his inked skin. “Brown’s Health and Rehabilitation Center…?” He read off the label. “ _Rehab,_ Klaus?”

Resentment boiled in Klaus at the judgment in his brother’s tone. He shrugged, jerking back his arm.

“Rehab?” Allison said softly, furrowing her brow. She sounded almost confused. “Like, for drugs?”

Klaus bristled.

After leaving the oppressive mansion the second he turned eighteen, there was nowhere for him to go. He had no job, no resume, no talents. It had been easy for the wrong kind of people to lure him in, and he had sunk the ship when he realized the visions of massacred people blurred and faded after taking his first hit of pot. The more fucked up he was, the less he saw them, he had discovered, and his self-control had only plummeted after that.

Then again...that was only true in most cases. His eyes strayed back to the figure leaning against the wall before darting back to his family. “Well? Tell them.” The vision of his dead brother sent shudders through his body.

All eyes were on him. His pressed his lips together. “Yeah, for drugs. So what?”

“Oh, Klaus…” Vanya looked at him sadly. He refused to look her in the eye.

“For how long?” Allison asked, pity clear in her voice. Klaus hated it.

“Since I left,” he answered shortly. Luther’s frown deepened.

“Well, at least you’re getting help now,” Diego said encouragingly after a pause of uncertain glances. “Thirty days sober, right?”

A laugh bubbled out of his throat. He couldn’t stop it, and he laughed and laughed until he was breathless and gasping for air.

“Oh, maybe I was this morning,” he said, still chuckling. “But as of five minutes before I walked into this hellhole, we’re back to day zero, baby.”

“You’re high right now?” Luther asked in disbelief.

“As a kite,” he said breezily. Luther made a disgusted noise, and the rest of his siblings looked uncomfortable. “It’s whatever. This isn’t about me.” _It never is._ “This is about Dad.”

They all shifted restlessly, unsure, before Luther finally cleared his throat and looked away.

“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s get down to business.”

Klaus slouched on the couch, kicking up his feet and trying to push down his resentment the more Luther spoke.

“What are you saying?” Allison spoke up after Luther explained his plan to investigate Dad’s death.

“He thinks one of us killed Dad,” Diego answered furiously before Luther could even open his mouth.

“Seriously?” Klaus laughed. And they thought he was the crazy one.

“That’s not what I meant,” Luther said defensively.

“Then what did you mean?” Vanya asked a little accusingly. “The coroner’s report said he died from a heart attack.”

“Yeah, that’s what it said, but I think there may be more to it. Dad’s monocle was gone when he died. He always wore his monocle! It had to be someone close to him.”

Klaus scoffed. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered. He rose from the couch, walking away from the absurd situation.

“Where are you going?” Luther’s voice called after him. Klaus waved his hand through the air, flashing the tattooed symbol on his wrist.

“To raid Dad’s alcohol cabinet,” he said coolly. “Or kill Mom, I haven’t decided yet.” He slammed the door behind him.

Klaus assumed the rest of that meeting didn’t go on for very long after his departure, judging by the lack of yelling. Everything echoed in this house; the walls were so thin that Luther’s record player often sounded like it was blasting even if it wasn’t even turned halfway up.

“You’re really drinking right now?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Klaus said lazily, deciding to indulge in his mind’s hallucination.

“Literally anything else.” The image of his dead brother crossed his arms. Klaus didn’t bother to respond.

He was so fucked up. No matter how much he took, Ben never disappeared.

His drinking session didn’t go on for long, unfortunately. He was only tipsy when the house began to shake, electricity whirring and things flying through the air.

“The fuck?!” he exclaimed. He rushed outside, grabbing a fire extinguisher on his way out.  

“What’s happening?” Vanya yelled, wide-eyed with the rest of them as they watched a giant fucking _wormhole_ spin above them.

Klaus threw the fire extinguisher.

“What was that supposed to do?!”

Klaus shrugged at Allison. “I don’t know!”

A figure reached through the hole, and a tiny body was flung to the ground.

Klaus gaped.

“Am I the only one who sees little Number Five?” Klaus asked, staring at his missing brother in shock. Five brushed off his baggy clothes, turning to them.

“Shit,” he cursed.

He shoved his way through the crowd of siblings, briskly waltzing into the house like it was no big deal that he had just appeared out of nowhere. “What’s the date?”

“The _date_?” Klaus said hysterically. “Who cares about that? You’ve been missing for like twenty years!”

Five gave him an irritated glare.

“March 24th,” Vanya said quickly. Five paused.

“Good. That’s good.”

“Why is that good?” Allison asked.

“Because,” Five said, turning to them dramatically. “The world ends in eight days, which gives me just enough time to fix it.”

\-----------------------------

By the time Luther announced it was time for the funeral, Five had ditched them, presumably to go do Very Important Things. They gathered outside, huddled underneath their respective umbrellas.

“Would anyone like to say anything?” Pogo asked solemnly. They all shuffled on their feet. Klaus lit a cigarette.

“Very well.” Pogo went on to preach about the old man’s brilliant mind and oh-so incredible personality. It was such bullshit.

Honestly, the fight between Diego and Luther invoked more emotion in him than the actual funeral for their father. Klaus was itching for a high by the time it was over.

He stuck the butt of his cigarette in Dad’s ashes, exhaling the last bit of smoke. He flinched in surprise when he turned to see Diego lingering at the door. He shrugged past him, only to be stopped as he took a step forward.

“Hey,” Diego caught his arm. “Let me give you a ride home.”

That was a bad idea on so many levels. For one thing, he didn’t have a home. “I don’t think --”

“Come on,” he insisted. Klaus frowned. “We can catch up on some brother bonding. Who else am I supposed to do that with -- Luther?” Diego’s snort made him smile just a little. Diego perked up at the sight of it. “Well?”

“Go on,” Ben said. Klaus knew if he didn’t, he would be bugging him about it for days. He grimaced.

“I guess,” Klaus agreed reluctantly. Diego broke out into a grin.

“Great!” Diego immediately started leading him to the car, hand resting between Klaus’ shoulder blades. The easy affection was new, and Klaus didn’t know what to make of it, so he just allowed himself to be subjected to it.

“Where do you live?” Diego asked, cranking up the car.

Klaus bounced his leg anxiously. “Downtown,” he lied, thinking he might as well pick up something up if he was getting a free ride. “Near 4th Street. You can let me off there, I have some errands to do anyway.”

“Alright.” The hesitancy in Diego’s voice did not go unnoticed, but Klaus could care less what ideas might be flying through his brother’s head, accurate or not. It’s not like his family had ever thought much of him anyway.

“So,” Diego said. He watched Klaus from the corner of his eye. “You got a tattoo?”

Klaus’ fingers automatically brushed over his wrist. It was in the exact same place as his siblings’ umbrellas. The Chinese character stood out on his pale skin. “Yeah.”

“What does it mean?”

A smile curved at his lips. “Four.”

Diego glanced over at him quickly. “Oh.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, and Klaus was content to rest his head against the window and watch the scenery pass by. It didn’t last long, though, before Diego opened his mouth again.

“Do you,” Diego started. He stopped, then cleared his throat. “Do you still see...things?”

“Do I still hallucinate, you mean?” Klaus said dryly. Ben snorted from the backseat. He twitched at the sound. “Yes, Diego.” He let out a sigh.

“Have you tried seeing a doctor?” The question had Klaus tensing up. Diego backtracked. “I mean, I know Dad tried to give you medication as a kid and it didn’t work, but maybe now it would?”

“If Dad couldn’t get me something that helps, no one can,” Klaus shot the idea down dryly. “Besides, I don’t have insurance.”

“Listen, Klaus,” Diego began. “I could help you out, if you needed me to. I know we haven’t talked in -- well, in years, but we’re family. You’re my brother--”

“You can drop me off here,” Klaus interrupted, spotting a familiar group of people. He didn’t want to listen anymore. As kind as Diego’s words were, Klaus knew the welcoming attitude would wear off quickly if he took up his offer, and he didn’t want to deal with that kind of letdown.  

“Klaus,” Diego implored.

“Diego,” he returned forcefully. “Stop the car.”

Diego stopped the car. Klaus got out. “Klaus, please.”

“I’ll see you later, Diego.” He saw his acquaintances up ahead, and he started jogging away from the car. He could feel his brother’s eyes on him as he approached the guys.

“Klaus!” one of them, Terry, cheered. He slung his arm around Klaus’ shoulders. “Where you been, man?”

Behind him, he heard Diego’s engine rev up. “Rehab,” he said easily. The car sped off. “You got any smack?”

“You know who you’re talking to?” Terry laughed. “Come on, man, I got the good shit in here.”

Ben’s transparent form shimmered. Klaus let himself be led to the rundown building they dealt in, ignoring the disapproving look from the made-up image of his dead brother. He paid the guys, stuffing the goods in his pockets and grinning as they made their way to the safehouse where the druggies all went to pass out for the night. Klaus stepped over the various bodies, scanning the room for an empty spot.

When he found one, he jerked his head in the direction, and the others broke off into different directions.

“I’ll see you later, Klaus,” Terry said, already eagerly sizing up the people huddled around the building. “Keep in touch, will you? Don’t wanna lose my favorite customer.”

“Aw, you’re just flattering me,” Klaus said, winking at the man. “I’ll probably catch you next week.” If the supposed apocalypse didn’t happen like Five said it would, that is.

Terry patted his back, leaving him alone for the night while he went off to find someone else looking for a hit in exchange for a pretty penny. He slid down the wall, digging out a syringe and closing his eyes.

He shot himself up, and he felt more alive than he had in a month. He shivered, tracing the track mark on his arm. From nearby, he heard Ben scoff.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he told him. Ben pursed his lips together. “This is- this is just for today, okay? Promise I’ll go back to weed tomorrow.”

“Don’t tell me things you don’t mean,” Ben said. The hallucination’s disappointment was more than he could take at the moment.

Klaus hiccuped. “God, this is so messed up. You’re not even real. I’m talking to a figment of my imagination. Except my brain is so twisted that it decided to conjure an image of my dead brother to follow me around.”

Ben didn’t respond for a minute. Then, “What if I wasn’t your imagination?” The suggestion was soft and persistent. This was not the first time the idea had been presented to Klaus by the made-up vision of his brother. “What if I was real?”

“You’re not,” Klaus said with certainty. “My brother is dead. Six feet under. Never coming back. At least I’m self-aware of my own insanity.”

“Klaus--”

“Shut up,” Klaus said. He fumbled in his pocket, counting out the pills he had left in the little baggie.

“You’re already high,” Ben said pleadingly. “You don’t need more.”

Klaus pointedly shook the bag, not bothering to try and restrict how many came out. He rolled them in his palm. “Oh, three?” A snort slipped out, dissolving into giggles. “Okay then.”

“Two,” Ben countered. “Just take two, Klaus. Put one back.” Tense, Ben watched as Klaus stopped himself from throwing the pills into his mouth, looking down at them in contemplation. Finally, after a long moment, Klaus carefully let one fall back into the bag, then immediately tipped the others into his mouth, swallowing them dry.

“Thank you,” Ben said. His body flickered. Klaus ignored him, thumping his head back on the wall and closing his eyes. It wasn’t long until the world faded out from around him, and he let himself drift in and out of consciousness.

How long had he been here? He had no idea. He was pretty sure he had somewhere to be. Maybe he should’ve waited in the house, but he didn’t know how much longer he could’ve taken it in there. A popping noise interrupted his peace, and he lolled his head back.

“Klaus,” Five said.

“Five.” He sounded out the vowels. It came out slurred.

“What are you on?” Klaus couldn’t tell what emotion was in Five’s voice.

“Heroin,” he said honestly. Five wrinkled up his nose.

“Jesus,” he muttered. He crouched next to Klaus, who only smiled sloppily at him as the tiny superhuman ruffled through his pockets. Five pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

“That’s not yours,” Klaus mumbled. He made no attempt to get it back though. Five didn’t dignify him with an answer as he held the phone up to his ear.

“I found him,” the man-child said after a few rings. “He’s pretty fucked up. You’re gonna have to come pick him up.” Klaus giggled when Five kicked his leg. “Hey, jackass. Where are we?”

Klaus mentally scrambled for the location. Five repeated the street name, holding the phone up to his ear while struggling to put Klaus’ jacket on him.

“Stand up,” Five said, pulling on his arms. Klaus groaned, conceding with the demand, swaying back and forth on his feet. Five dragged him through the varying rooms, curving around the maze of people on the floor.

“Aw, going so soon, Klaus?” Klaus turned to smile dopily at a barely-dressed girl, who had smudged makeup similar to his own outlining her eyes.

“Boss man said so, Veronica,” Klaus said, gesturing to Five. Five did not look humored by the delay.

Veronica cooed at him, seemingly uncaring of the fact that Five was essentially in the body of a prepubescent child. “Come visit again soon,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes at Klaus. “There’s always room for you here.”

Klaus blew her a kiss, and Five shoved him impatiently. Her laughter followed them as they exited, Diego’s car already parked in front of the building.

“Fuck, Klaus,” Diego said when he was pushed into the back seat. Five took shotgun.

“I want waffles,” Klaus declared, pulling himself upright into the seat after dragging himself to the other side of the car. Ben slipped into the open area next to him. “You like waffles, right?” Ben nodded silently. “Yeah, we want waffles.”

“We?” Five asked.

“Mm-hm. Me and Ben,” Klaus said. Drowsy, he rested his forehead against the back of the headrest in front of him.

“Ben is dead, Klaus,” Diego said after a pause.

“I know that,” Klaus snapped, suddenly agitated. He sat up, clenching his fists in a burst of anger. “I’m not stupid, Diego. I might be crazy, but I’m not stupid. I know Ben is dead. I don’t think _he_ knows that though!” He directed his last statement at the fake Ben, who looked at him in betrayal.

“You think I don’t know I’m dead?” Ben whispered. “You think I like being here, stuck to your self-destructive ass? That I want to watch you destroy your body every day? Well, I don’t. Grow up, Klaus.”

With that, the hallucination vanished from the car. Klaus flinched guiltily. “Good riddance,” he muttered without meaning it. His stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“Why are you doing this?” At first, Klaus almost registered the voice as Ben’s, it was so very like him to say. When he focused back in on reality, though, it was only Diego. “What happened that you needed to...needed to fuck yourself up like you are?”

Diego’s desperate tone had Klaus reflecting on what he should say. The car was deathly quiet as his brothers waited on his reply.

“They go away,” Klaus whispered at last. “When I do. They leave me alone.”

“Who, Klaus?” Diego asked. Klaus didn’t answer. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Ben, I’m sorry,” Klaus sobbed. “Please don’t leave. Please don’t leave me. Come back.” He scratched at his arms, confused and distraught. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Diego said frantically. “You’re not alone, you’ve got us. Right, Five?”

Klaus sniffed, looking up through blurry eyes. Five threw him a panicked look.

“Uh, yeah,” he said quickly. Klaus blew his nose loudly on his sleeve. Five’s disgusted expression cheered him up a bit.

“Can we get waffles?” he asked pitifully. Diego and Five looked at him in disbelief.   

“We’re going to Griddy’s,” Five said.

Klaus whined. “But Griddy’s doesn’t have waffles. They only have doughnuts.”

“Then you can get a doughnut.” Five’s tone booked no argument.

“Don’t be mean to him,” Diego muttered.

“Are you serious right now?” Five said, flabbergasted. “He’s a grown man!”

“He’s upset right now,” Diego hissed.

“I am not arguing with you over this,” Five stated blankly. “I’ll meet you there.” He popped out of the car, disappearing just like Ben.

The rest of the ride was filled with worried glances from Diego through the rear view mirror. Klaus dazed out, turning around to open his mouth and talk to Fake Ben every now and then before closing it again when he realized he wasn’t there.

They stopped in front of the dimly lit doughnut shop, Diego parking expertly. Klaus couldn’t relate. He had never gotten his driver’s license.

Diego opened the car door for him, lugging him out. He wrapped his arm around him, supporting his back as he stumbled to the entrance of the old restaurant. Five was waiting for them inside, appearing incredibly bored.

“This place has turned into a dump,” Diego commented, examining the dingy lights and empty seats.

“That’s what I said,” Five grumbled, sipping a coffee. He slid a doughnut covered in rainbow sprinkles over to Klaus. “Here.”

He picked it up slowly. “Thanks,” he said. Klaus nibbled it experimentally. It was good.

“Remember when we used to sneak here all the time as kids?” Diego’s fond tone broke through the awkwardness.

Klaus thought back to simpler times. Memories of Mom pretending like she didn’t notice them dropping out of their windows in the middle of night, enjoying the brief time he got to spend with his siblings… yeah, he could honestly say it had been nice. “Luther cried the first time we snuck out because we didn’t trust him not to tell Dad,” Klaus reminisced. Loopily, he grinned. That had been way more humorous than it should have been.

“Oh, yeah!” Diego brightened up. “God, that was so funny. I forgot about that. Why did we ever stop coming?”

Klaus’ good mood plummeted. “Ben died.”

Diego’s smile dropped. “Oh --”

The lights flickered. They all froze.

The bell on the door rang out, the sound of boots on the tiled floors reaching Klaus’ ears.

“Which one of you is Five?”

“I am,” Five said calmly.

All hell broke loose.

Klaus ducked as shots rang out through the restaurant, grabbing his doughnut. He stuffed it in his mouth, crawling against the floor until he ended up underneath a booth. He could hear shouting and pained yells as Five teleported around the restaurant, killing them cleanly.

He watched, fascinated, as his brothers fluidly cut through the assassins. He licked his fingers, cleaning off the residue from the doughnut.

God, their family was such a fucking nightmare.

**Author's Note:**

> I loveee this au. I rushed thru the beginning just to give it a jumpstart, but hopefully I'll get it more fleshed out in the next chapter if I continue lol.  
> Thoughts? Theories? Opinions??


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